BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT -- Republican congressional candidate Jim Kidney's campaign manager has quit because of disputes over raising money and political organization.
Oldham County resident Don Bell, a former Secret Service agent and two-time candidate for state office, went public Monday, saying he quit Mr. Kidney's campaign about a month ago largely because the candidate "doesn't know how to take advice."
"He didn't listen to me," Mr. Bell said Monday. "He won't listen to anybody."
Mr. Kidney, a Fort Thomas lawyer running in the 4th District GOP primary, said he and Mr. Bell disagreed over raising campaign money.
"I wouldn't raise money, and that upset Don," Mr. Kidney said from his Newport law office, which is also his campaign headquarters. "He wanted me to rent an office and open a campaign headquarters. He wanted me to hold 10 fund-raisers. He wanted me to take money from tobacco companies and a whole bunch of (political action committees)," said Mr. Kidney, who is financing much of his own campaign.
"I wouldn't do those things, so he left."
Mr. Bell called Mr. Kidney a "cheapskate" because he wouldn't pay some of his campaign volunteers. He also accused Mr. Kidney of being disorganized and of getting political mileage out of his (Mr. Bell's) name.
"He used me and used my name, and he wouldn't take my advice," Mr. Bell said. "I told him a year ago he needed to start organizing in the big Republican counties in the district: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Oldham, Lewis and, to a certain extent, Boyd.
"He didn't. He wants to run his own campaign from his law office," Mr. Bell said. "That's fine, but I don't want to be a part of it." Mr. Kidney said he doesn't pay his campaign volunteers "because that's what they are, volunteers."
Mr. Kidney also said he is organized, that he was out this weekend campaigning in Ashland and that he recently visited Robertson, Shelby and Oldham counties to campaign and meet with supporters. And he harked back to when he entered the race and said at the time he would take little, if any, money from special interest groups because he didn't want to be beholden to anybody or any groups.
"I don't care about special interests," he said. "I've got my own money. I don't owe anybody any favors."
Mr. Kidney also said he refuses to hire political consultants "that can come in here to trick . . . the public how to vote."
Mr. Kidney said he and Mr. Bell also had a falling out over some political issues, including gun control. Mr. Kidney said Mr. Bell disagreed with Mr. Kidney's support of a new type of handgun called the "smart gun" that uses radio-frequency and fingerprint technology to block an unauthorized person from firing it.
In the letter of resignation that Mr. Bell sent to Mr. Kidney last month, Mr. Bell said he would not "become involved" with the other two Republicans in the 4th District primary, Fort Mitchell attorney Rick Robinson or Boone County State Sen. Gex "Jay" Williams.
